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  India   Tycoon tapped by Amar Singh may be ‘BJP bridge’

Tycoon tapped by Amar Singh may be ‘BJP bridge’

Published : Mar 31, 2016, 1:09 am IST
Updated : Mar 31, 2016, 1:09 am IST

Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh has staged a “big” political coup by snapping a leading media and business tycoon, who had been the camp follower of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh has staged a “big” political coup by snapping a leading media and business tycoon, who had been the camp follower of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the side of his old master Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Within the SP, the move is being seen as Mr Singh and the business tycoon possibly becoming a bridge between Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and the BJP in the context of the mother of all state Assembly elections — the Uttar Pradesh polls — less than a year away.

“The business tycoon was a leading campaigner of Mr Modi in the 2014 elections. He wanted the BJP to back his Rajya Sabha nomination from Haryana. He met BJP chief Amit Shah, but was disappointed by the outcome. Afterwards, Mr Amar Singh came in the picture,” sources close to the SP chief said.

While Mr Amar Singh has been assured of a Rajya Sabha nomination from UP as an Independent nominee, sources said he impressed upon the SP chief to send the business tycoon to the Upper House from the state.

“Mr Amar Singh is now throwing a gala party at the residence of the business tycoon on April 2 in the national capital to celebrate the marriage of the grandson of the SP leader and UP minister Shiv Pal Singh Yadav. Invites for the party have gone to President Pranab Mukherjee, vice-president Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister and leading lights of politics and business,” sources said.

With Mr Amar Singh apparently having regained his clout over SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, sources said that the coming close of the BJP camp follower tycoon to the socialist party can shape up the course of next year’s UP Assembly elections.

“Within the SP, the assessment is that there is a massive consolidation of the dalit and Muslims in favour of BSP chief Mayawati, and that has opened up various possibilities, including the SP and the BJP striking some sort of an informal arrangement. The landing of the Modi bandwagon follower business tycoon in the SP camp has stirred massive speculation.

The media tycoon owns leading Hindi news channels along with newspapers published from multiple locations across the country, besides heading diversified business interests.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi